Professional Development

A commitment to life-long learning helps educators model the value of education to their students. I work with educators at all levels, individually, in small and large groups, to provide professional development experiences tailored to their needs.

In addition to the following workshops and seminars, I offer leadership team development in the form of retreats, workshops, and forums tailored to the group's specific needs. I have addresses leadership development, team-building, goal-setting, and Board of Trustees development. Let me know your team's needs and we can develop a format that will meet your goals!

Workshops and SeminarsThe following workshops can be customized for time (2 hour, 4 hour, etc.), participant (Administrative Team, Board of Trustees, faculty, parents), and location. Participants will actively engage in discussion and activities, and with materials that will address the following topics and answer the following questions.

Mental Health Issues for School Decision Makers *What are the mental health issues in students and faculty that school decision makers need to address? What are examples of positive, supportive responses to mental health issues? How can schools develop comprehensive, legal, and supportive policies and procedures regarding the mental health of community members?​

Hiring Procedures as part of the Marketing Plan *From the moment a job opening is posted, throughout the search, interview, and offer process, hiring practices present a powerful, but often un-examined venue for schools to reflect their reputation. How do school personnel can manage the hiring process to positively impact job-seekers -regardless if they are hired?

Inclusion/Exclusion and How to Improve Students’ Social Intelligence *With buzzwords like “bullying” “trigger words” and “micro-aggressions” being used with abandon, how do educators meaningfully, fairly, and comprehensively address the inclusion of all in schools? How do we model, teach, and practice language and behaviors that establish and maintain an inclusive environment?

Current Understandings of Adolescent Brain Development We have learned so much over the past 20 years about the unique growth that occurs in the brain during the pre-adolescent and adolescent years. How can we use the research to help us to better understand the sometimes mystifying behaviors of our students and children? How do we best support them through their transitions?

The Cyber Lives of KidsUnderstanding the connections between all things technological, our brains, and our behavior is the next new frontier. Our societal norms are changing at an unprecedented rate. We are living in what has been called “the largest longitudinal social experiment ever.” How do we best parent, educate, and provide boundaries for our “technology-native” children? How do we demonstrate role model behaviors ourselves regarding technology use?

Bullying Prevention and ResponseAlthough bullying is a hot topic in the news, and it is being addressed in various ways across the country, it continues to occur regularly in our schools. The CDC calls bullying a significant public health issue. What research-based strategies can be implemented in schools to prevent the occurrence of bullying and to prevent or minimize the negative effects of bullying? How can school personnel best respond to bullying- whether verbal, physical, social, or cyber? How can school personnel educate parents regarding how they can best prevent and respond to bullying?​

​Jen Cort and Brooke Carroll offer​Management Skills for New LeadersA year-long cohort for new supervisors and those seeking to become superviors

Beginning September we will offer a year long cohort to scaffold and develop management skills for new educational leaders and those with supervisory goals. By understanding how and why people act in systems, and learning practical strategies for developing positive teams, supervisors will be more effective and will feel confident working with, and supervising, others. This professional development course will facilitate growth in middle-level educational managers’ skills and abilities in managing their work, the people they supervise, and themselves.